The Journal of Social Media in Society
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Employee Use of Social Media for Private Affairs during Working Hours
Get PDFMany organizations have open access to social media (SM), granting employee access at work. The purpose of the study was to find out whether the respondents used SM for private reasons at work, how much time they devoted to such use, and what was the attitude of managers and the employees themselves toward such use. The study was undertaken during 2013-2014 using a questionnaire survey. Open-ended interviews added a third dimension. The main findings were that employees used a considerable part of their working hours for personal SM use. The majority felt that managers objected to such use but an even larger majority believed that such use by their own was unacceptable
Social Media “Teleco-presence” Theory of Identity
Get PDFThis paper examines the issue of social media interpersonal human interactions. The onslaught of social networking sites on the Internet for inter-human synchronous and asynchronous communication has revolutionized interactive communication. The fragmentation of audiences from the cultural, gender, class, race and value perspectives has complicated a unique theoretical dimension for understanding these forms of communications on social media. This paper attempts to conceptualize a theoretical benchmark for understanding identity formation when it comes to interpersonal communication level.
From Underground ‘Sutta’ to Mainstream ‘Kolaveri di’: Understanding Social Media through Changing Perceptions of Popular Music in the Indian Subcontinent
No full textThis paper is an investigation into the development of social media soundscape of South Asian cyberspace in the latter half of the decade of 2000s and the early years of 2010s. The locus that this paper treads in this attempt is the trajectory of changing perceptions of what has been called underground music as opposed to what is generally known as mainstream music. The inquiry begins by locating popular songs such as ‘BC Sutta’ released by the Pakistani singer Saqib Abdullah in 2005 and ‘Kolaveri di’ released by Telugu film star Dhanush in 2011 at the opposite ends of this spectrum. Neither of the songs was produced or distributed in the traditional manner by corporate production houses. Also to be noted is that both these songs became known and extremely popular, especially among the youth, only through circulation on the Internet. Why, then, was BC Sutta considered ‘underground’ and Kolaveri di as ‘mainstream’? The paper suggests that this owes to the development of Web 2.0 technologies, such as social media, that democratised and redistributed the agencies of production and consumption of popular music in South Asia. It argues that this democratisation takes place because of the reconfiguration and redistribution of what French Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu had called ‘Cultural Capital’, and what Australian scholars Michael Emmison and John Frow have identified as ‘Information technology as cultural capital.’ In this process, the paper also makes overtures toward providing a corrective to the lack – identified by cultural geographer Susan Smith – in culture studies of attention given to soundscapes.
From the Lighthouse to the Campfire: The Connection between Sharing Information Offline and Sharing Resources Offline
No full textA recent cultural shift from the traditional framework of few-to-many communication to a more democratic, many-to-many approach supports a new model called “From the Lighthouse and the Campfire” model. The Lighthouse and the Campfire model suggests that information no longer comes from one source (the Lighthouse), but rather from many sources and users of the media (the Campfire). Social media use (in line with the Campfire) has contributed to the change from a more top-down dissemination of information to a more collective community of sharing. With this change comes the idea that social media users share information online, and therefore, their sharing behavior translates into offline behavior. In other words, the more people share online, the more they are willing to share offline. To test this hypothesis, 335 participants (age: 18-86) were asked about social media use and behavior, sharing services usage offline and online, willingness to use sharing services, and comfort with sharing in general. Results showed that social media use and online behaviors are positively associated with participation in sharing services offline, willingness to use sharing services offline, and a greater comfort with sharing in general.
A Reflection of Reality? The Consumption and Reproduction of Obesity Discourses by The Biggest Loser’s Viewers Through Facebook
No full textThe Biggest Loser promotes itself as an avenue for ‘obese’ individuals to lose weight through exercise and diet modification with the end goal of a ‘healthy lifestyle’ (NBC, 2013). A driving premise behind The Biggest Loser is the idea that Western countries are in the midst of an ‘obesity epidemic’ and immediate action by all citizens is required. The purpose of this study was to provide insights into viewers’ consumption of the obesity discourses reproduced by The Biggest Loser, through the social media platform Facebook. Viewers’ Facebook posts were analyzed and categorized under the theoretical framework of biopedagogy. Data analysis observed that viewers’ Facebook posts reproduced obesity discourses concerning children, active or inactive citizens and inequalities. Facebook enables active participation of body surveillance and also serves as a multiplier of surveillance. The authors maintain that social media is a form of cultural texts; these texts reflect broader cultural understandings. Although some scholars argue that social media can facilitate movements of resistance, the authors observed that The Biggest Loser viewers reproduced obesity discourses.
Twitter Diplomacy? A Content Analysis of Eight U.S. Embassies’ Twitter Feeds
Get PDFIn recent years, the Twitter feeds of U.S. Embassies have sparked controversies, angering American political leaders as well as local leaders and citizens. This study explores how U.S. Embassies use Twitter, to try to assess whether Twitter use might be seen as furthering the mission of the U.S. Department of State or as a “barometer” of local tensions. By examining the tweet output from four embassies on the State Department official “watch list” and four not on the list, this study reveals inconsistencies among embassies in Twitter use and between Twitter content and the State Department mission, and suggests the possibility of viewing such Twitter activity as public diplomacy
Corporate Social Media: Understanding the Impact of Service Quality & Social Value on Customer Behavior
Get PDFCompanies are making major investments in platforms such as Facebook and Twitter because they realize that social media are an influential force on customer perceptions and behavior. However, to date, little guidance exists as to what constitutes an effective deployment of social media and there is no empirical evidence that social medial investments are yielding positive returns. This research provides two important and unique contributions to research and practice through the development and validation of a meaningful measure of the service quality effectiveness of the corporate social media environment, and through the development of an important mediator construct (Social Value) that can be used to capture the user experience of a social media community. These contributions and the resulting research model provide a strong theoretical basis for researchers interested in testing the impact of corporate social media service quality and social value on customers’ behavioral responses
Evaluating Podcast Compositions: Assessing Credibility, Challenges, and Innovation
Get PDFWith digital technology becoming a common feature in the classroom and research, podcasts become a valuable reference for both. Whether used as primary source material, illustrating faculty development, or functioning as a multi-media resource in the classroom, assessment tools are needed to evaluate podcasts. Current evaluation tools tend to focus on the production; therefore, an analytical framework focusing the quality of information presented via podcasts for use in research or as a teaching tool in the classroom is warranted. The guideline discussed in this project is based on five factors, each of which has a number of indicators to help gauge its quality and worth. The proposed rubric is a helpful tool that aids in the building of digital ethos for potential audiences outside the academy enabling action based learning and or community impact.
Citizen Journalism: From Thomas in Boston to Twitter in Tamaulipas, A Case Study
Get PDFAs violence spiked in Mexico in clashes between drug trafficking organizations and law enforcement, news media were systematically silenced by cartels and cowed legitimate governments. Reliable information on street battles and their consequences ceased to flow through traditional channels to an anxious citizenry on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border 10 miles from McAllen, Texas. In Reynosa, Tamaulipas, a noted “plaza” territory contested by the Zetas and the Gulf Cartel, ordinary citizens became journalists in 2010, reporting under the umbrella of the pioneer #ReynosaFollow hashtag on the Twitter social media platform. This gave frightened citizens a sense of anonymity and security in disseminating their real-time warnings to others, serving as the modern-day “underground presses” of the past signaling danger and injustice. Twitter and #ReynosaFollow have gained notoriety in mainstream media on the U.S. side of the border as useful and important news sources in territory that reporters no longer cover on a daily basis out of fear for their lives. This article chronicles how citizen journalism has developed in heavily censured states of Mexico where frequent gun battles and brutal murders still occur. Special emphasis is given to a case study of Twitter in the city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas
Pin it for Yourself: Women’s Health and Fitness Content on Pinterest
Get PDFThe current study examined content and images in Pinterest’s Health & Fitness category. Unlike women’s magazines, Pinterest content has no editors deciding what content appears; instead, users generate and share content directly with other users. Findings indicated that Pinterest users more frequently see models with more realistic body types, as opposed to the ultra-thin models presented by traditional women’s magazines. Thin models received fewer repins and likes, indicating negative feedback from users on excessively thin models in exercise and health content. Additionally, the majority of content focused on exercise, with a lesser emphasis on recipes and general health. Pinterest may represent a space for women, controlled by women